The first day of the CIAA Basketball tournament brought about some exciting action, including a near-upset in the opening contest.
Here is everything that transpired on Day 1 of the 2026 CIAA Basketball Tournament.
Women
Claflin 53, Lincoln (PA) 50
Player of the Game: Claflin G Ashari Lewis
Claflin endured a rough and tough opening-round matchup against Lincoln (PA), battling back from a double-digit deficit at halftime to claim a 53-50 win.
Capitalizing on a sloppy first half by the Panthers, in which they committed 11 turnovers and shot 20% from the field, Lincoln ended the first half with a 27-13 lead.
A scoring barrage in the third quarter by Ashari Lewis, scoring 11 of her 23 points in the period, allowed the Panthers to trim their deficit down to four entering the fourth quarter.
An 8-2 run to start the final period gave Claflin its first lead of the contest with 6:22 remaining. After briefly trading the lead over the next minute, the Panthers sealed the win, building a game-high six-point lead with two minutes remaining.
Livingstone 59, Elizabeth City State 46
Player of the Game: Livingstone G Nielle Reaves
A strong fourth quarter was enough for Livingstone to push its way into the Quarterfinal round, taking down Elizabeth City State 59-46.
This marks the first time Livingstone’s women have won a game in the CIAA tournament since 2022.
A rough first quarter, shooting 1-of-20 from the field, ended with the Blue Bears trailing 16-3. The Vikings, on the other hand, had the hot hand, hitting 5-of-9 from three-point range in the period.
Desperate for some easy baskets, the Blue Bears looked to their defense to fuel the offense, forcing 10 turnovers, leading to 10 points in the second quarter.
After taking its first lead in the third quarter, Livingstone put the game out of reach in the fourth, outscoring Elizabeth City State 26-8, shooting a game-high 47% from the field in the period.
Bluefield State 82, Shaw 56
Player of the Game: Bluefield State F Azahreya Drayton-Gill
Bluefield State started its tournament run in impressive fashion, breezing into the next round with an 82-56 win over Shaw.
The Big Blue wasted no time building a big lead, riding a hot first quarter that saw six of nine players hit a shot from the field to a 25-8 advantage at the end of the first.
Sloppy play by Shaw also contributed to its opponent’s hot start, as the team committed 11 turnovers in the opening quarter (resulting in 42 turnovers for the game), which led to 11 points on the other end.
Bluefield State coasted the rest of the way, leading by as many as 39 points with five different players scoring in double figures.
Virginia Union 59, Johnson C. Smith 48
Player of the Game: Virginia Union C Bruni Martinez
Rounding out the Opening Round of the CIAA tournament in the Women’s bracket was Virginia Union, outdueling a game Johnson C. Smith in a 59-48 win.
CIAA Player of the Year Bruni Martinez showcased why she won the award, putting forth an impressive performance with 23 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks.
Johnson C. Smith forward Salonte Franklin held her own against the Panthers’ star, posting a double-double of 21 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks.
This was an evenly matched game through three quarters, with neither team leading by more than five points.
Men
Lincoln (PA) 69, Shaw 63
Player of the Game: Lincoln (PA) G Julius Olanrewaju
The Lincoln (PA) Lions got the men’s bracket going with a dramatic opening-round contest, battling back after trailing for the majority of the game to defeat the Shaw Bears 69-63.
In what started as a physical affair, the Bears began getting the best of the Lions early, crashing the boards and dictating the pace of the game.
While the Bears led for most of the first half, the Lions found ways to keep themselves within striking distance, getting timely stops and pushing to score in transition.
This game plan worked out in the long run for the Lions, eventually taking the lead with four minutes remaining in the second half, and they did not relinquish it.
Bowie State 100, Livingstone 77
Player of the Game: Bowie State F Jaiden McGhee
The Bowie State Bulldogs put on a show in their CIAA tournament opener, displaying impressive shot-making in their 100-77 win over the Livingstone Blue Bears.
Bowie State began the game scorching from deep, hitting five of its first six attempts from three-point range to build a 17-point lead.
The threes continued to rain in for the Bulldogs in the first half, going into the halftime locker room with a double-digit advantage.
Five different Bowie State players hit a three-pointer in the game, including Guy Fauntleroy, who came off the bench to knock in three of them.
While the Blue Bears fought valiantly down the stretch, eventually trimming their deficit to single digits, this was too much for the Blue Bears to overcome, as they were only able to get the game within nine points.
